FishProfiles.com Message Forums

when purchasing a gravel vac what should i look for? How often should i vacuum it and what is the bioload?

><> ~=!Vote Today!=~ <><
-----> View My Dragons <-----

Bioload refers to the waste contribution of the animals in your tank. Basically, it's how much your fish poop! Bioload can be determined by the number of fish (or snails or shrimp or other waste-producing creatures), the size of the fish, or if they are particularly messy fish like goldfish or plecos.

When I get a gravel vac, it sort of depends on what kind of tank I plan to use it for. I have 6 tanks and 3 gravel vacs. For small tanks with small delicate fish, or shrimp, or especially fry tanks, I use a vac with a small tube with relatively thin hose. A small vac can only suck up so much water at once, so the flow is fairly minimal and not usually powerful enough to suck up shrimp pr fry. For my larger tanks, I look for one with a fairly wide mouth, and tubing that is at least 5/8 inch wide. I personally do not like vacs that have a straining device attached to the bottom of the tube, but I do like ones that have a mechanism to prevent backflow. Any way you go, a gravel vac should be a very simple thing, and shouldn't cost you more than $10. You can safely ignore packaging that says they have all these extra features, because all you need is a tube and a hose and a way to hook them together.
One warning with vacs with large tubes and large hoses, they pull a lot of water very quickly, so have a big bucket handy or you could easily have a big mess on your hands.

Hoping that there must be a word for everything I mean...

Hi,
Many of us simply use the Python brand siphon.
It is designed to drain/fill the tank and vacuum the gravel
all at the same time. It connects to the (usually) kitchen
sink, and with the twist of the valve, will switch from
suction to filling with no spillage on the carpets or
floors.

Frank


-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

I find a good gravel cleaner should have enough flow to give you that combination of having enough suction to shift the poo and waste food, and is fast enough to change water without having to sit there all day ,and yet not so fast that it empties the tank of a significant proportion of the water thusly leading to larger water changes than you might wish for, thereby limiting your cleaning time too much.

For 30 gallons and under I use a siphon with a pipe diameter of about 8 mm with a head about 2 inches thick and for any larger than that about a 12 mm diameter pipe, and the heads are usually proportionately much larger. I prefer the siphons with wide flattish heads so that you can skim the surface gravel quickly, as well as get right down in there when you want to.

I never did find a use for siphons with a smaller tube diameter than that , the pressure just wasnt enough to shift the poo. You could actually see larger pieces of poo go up and down the smaller ones, and never actually make it into the bucket.

Many of us simply use the Python brand siphon.

Ya know, I had a terrible time with that thing. The problem wasn't so much the brand itself, as it was the fact that it would not fit on my faucet. I tried it on two different faucets, at two different houses, (I bought it because I was moving and needed a way to empty my tank quickly, and then refill it easily in the new location).

Of course, after that, the store would not take back the thing, because I had already unpacked it and used it. *Sigh* How was I supposed to know it wouldn't work without trying to use it?

Anyway, Im back to the good old siphon and bucket method.

Ya know, I had a terrible time with that thing. The problem wasn't so much the brand itself, as it was the fact that it would not fit on my faucet. I tried it on two different faucets, at two different houses, (I bought it because I was moving and needed a way to empty my tank quickly, and then refill it easily in the new location).

Of course, after that, the store would not take back the thing, because I had already unpacked it and used it. *Sigh* How was I supposed to know it wouldn't work without trying to use it?

Anyway, Im back to the good old siphon and bucket method.

You can usually find a faucet adapter at a local hardware store... I needed one for my bathroom sink which is closest to my room..

Thanx guys. Im sorry that i had trouble replying to this thread, but i have gotten the topfin brand 1" diameter siphon. The python was too expensive....

><> ~=!Vote Today!=~ <><
-----> View My Dragons <-----

You can make your own "Python" type gravel vac/filler and spend only a fraction of the cost of buying one. In a nutshell you need a waterbed fill kit, a garden hose and a shut off valve. All of these can be purchased new, or you can find many of the parts at a second hand/thrift store. I've seen waterbed fill kits for as little as 25 cents. Anyways, here's a link that will give you directions.

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/diy_python.php

Jim

---

Water, taken in moderation, cannot hurt anybody. -- Mark Twain